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Twenty two years ago at the steps of Parliament House in Kampala , Yoweri Kaguta Museveni held the Holy Scriptures in his right hand and swore to bring fundamental changes' to the way Uganda was governed.
 In one swift move that saw an African leader boast of having ordered his security forces to shoot to kill those that opposed his ideas, Museveni went so far in showing exactly what type of fundamental changes' he had in mind. These fundamental changes now mean that if you dare oppose him, you will either end up in the mortuary, in prison or, like many of us, flee your country with no chance of going back soon.
Gen Museveni's actions during the last couple of weeks prove but one thing only. He is scared to death of the silent support that the Kabaka of Buganda holds, the type of support that the bush general evidently lacks. Here is a man who wonders why a man who holds no executive powers, makes people voluntarily kneel before him, build arches at road intersections without being asked when word goes around that he will be passing by that intersection and makes Uganda's youth ready to sacrifice their lives for him.
Barack Obama, an African-American and President of the most powerful nation on earth, has been described by the ultra-conservative Fox News television as a hater of white people, even when his mother was white. Every day on Fox News, the presenters mock Obama, call him names and ridicule him. Not once has the American President used his executive powers to shut down Fox News or send his security people to arrest one of the networks' anchors. Yet President Museveni showed his anger when a lowly radio station with links to the Buganda monarchy, CBS, aired its disapproval over the way the Ugandan dictator was handling himself. On Museveni's orders, the station was taken off air with Museveni vowing not to let it come up again.
 Skirmishes between the supporters of the Kabaka and security forces claimed over 24 lives and hundreds more injured. While the chap from Rwakitare (Museveni) often wants the world to believe he is the sole restorer of peace and tranquillity in Uganda, it is the same chap who was not amused when the Buganda youth took on the might of the heavily armed security personnel, wrenching guns out of the hands of some of them and burning down police stations.
According to reliable sources, the average age for the protesters was about 21. Their anger stemmed from being told that the man they held dear, the one who actually epitomises their own standing in the Uganda community, was being denied his birthright to visit his subjects. While at first the Museveni government ‘falsely' claimed that a group of the Banyala people did not want the Kabaka to visit their area, not a single person was prepared to come out and tell the press how much they detested the Kabaka's visit. On the contrary, civic leaders in Kayunga were urging the public to turn out in big numbers to welcome the Buganda monarch.
When he saw that his claims that the Banyala did not want the Kabaka to visit them were baseless, Museveni mounted a spirited campaign against the Kabaka, accusing him of meddling in politics and therefore breaking the Ugandan constitution. As is often the case, Museveni ordered the Buganda members of parliament to meet him so he could explain how bitter he was with their leader. This was swiftly followed by an announcement that he was going to address the nation, a sign that things were getting out of his control. At both meetings the Ugandan dictator tried in vain to convince whoever was listening to him that the Kabaka had become political by inviting opposition members to Mengo.
Museveni may not know it now, but having publicly come out and proclaimed than he had ordered the police to shoot to kill the rioters, he now bears responsibility for those killed. Protesting against what political leaders do is a democratic right. In London last week, Ugandans of all walks of life marched onto Trafalgar Square in London where the Uganda embassy is located, to show their disapproval  of what was taking place back home. They hurled abuse at anyone seen entering Uganda House, displayed placards that were abusive of the Ugandan leader.
As any viable democracy does, British authorities ordered the police to keep guard at the embassy while the protesters continued to show their anger at the Ugandan leader.
While in London no one was being beaten up by the British police, in Kampala the police were using water cannons to quell the angry crowd and live bullets to shoot anyone who they thought was misbehaving.
The most disappointing outcome of the past two weeks is the way Ugandan politicians reacted to what happened in Kampala . The youth in Buganda must be praised for having the courage to come out and exercise their democratic rights. The Ugandan opposition must be ashamed for having let these youth down by not at anytime condemning Museveni's actions. While opposition leader Prof. Ogenga-Latigo came out to say whatever happened must have been ordered from the very high in the government, his voice was silent in condemning Museveni's action to order the police to shoot to kill.
World leaders cannot also be spared the blame for not saying a word against the shedding of innocent lives by the Ugandan leader. In two months time, Museveni will be in Trinidad and Tobago shaking hands with the head of the commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II at the  Commonwealth Heads of State Summit meeting (CHOGM). Would the British government and the royal opposition led by David Cameron be happy to see the queen shaking the blood-stained hands of Yoweri Museveni?
Finally one can only say that what happened in Kampala two weeks ago goes a long way to prove beyond doubt that Yoweri Museveni has fundamentally failed to live up to his promises of a fundamental change. What we see today is that when he took over power in 1987, that is now 22 years ago, his was indeed a mere change of guard.
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